1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanised tills and particularly to such tills adapted to be towed behind and powered by a conventional farm tractor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the cultivation of cotton and similar crops the ground must undergo extensive preparation after a previous crop has been harvested and prior to the sowing of a new crop.
As the crop is often flood irrigated, the ground must be levelled. Ridges are then formed between adjacent furrows by ploughing and listering. The crop is ultimately planted into these ridges which provide suitable drainage and plant access during cultivation and harvesting. It is important that the ridges be spaced equally apart to enable farm machinery to traverse the field without damaging the crop.
After the crop has been harvested the field is slashed removing all but the stump and the roots of the plant. This too must be removed preventing it from regenerating and interfering with the new crop.
Conventionally, in preparation, the field is ploughed, essentially removing the ridges and in so doing destroying the remainder of the previous crop. The ridges are then reformed by listering in readiness for the new crop.
The abovementioned field preparation is time consuming which is of particular concern when cultivating cotton, which is a nine month crop, in a late or wet season when the time prior to the sowing of the new crop is reduced.
Another disadvantage problem associated with the conventional method of preparation is that in its execution, it requires multiple traversements of the field by farm machinery which undesirably compacts the soil.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus able to overcome or at least ameliorate the abovementions shortcoming of the conventional field preparation method.